Breast Augmentation or Breast Lift: Which Is Right for You?

If you want a breast enhancement procedure but are a neophyte in the world of plastic surgery, it can be a ‘torn between two lovers’ kind of situation when it comes to deciding which procedure is right for you.

Breast lift and breast augmentation, though targeting the same area, can be completely different depending on its purpose. You may choose one or have both. But how will you know if you’re a good candidate for just one or two?

Well, don’t fret just yet because we are here to tackle each to help you decide.

Breast Lift

If you want to fix your drooping and sagging breasts, you can start consulting for mastopexy procedure from your trusted surgeon. Breast Lift or mastopexy, is a procedure which repositions the nipple higher on the chest wall and thereby resulting to perkier breasts. It is important to note that in this surgical procedure, the cup size of your breasts does not increase. However, due to the process of lifting, reshaping, and contouring, a more emphasized cleavage can be achieved.

Breast lift procedures are mostly popular with people who have pendulous-shaped breasts and people who incurred deflated and saggy breasts after having children. A frequently asked question from mothers, moreover, is if they can still breast feed after the procedure. Yes, mothers should not worry as long as no ducts or nerves are damaged during the procedure.

However, as a general rule of thumb, one should take time to decide on the schedule of the procedure as it needs a recovery period. There will be some post-procedure discomfort such as bruising and swelling.

One concern why patients are quite apprehensive to breast lift is that some procedures resulted to obvious scarring. This is due to the incision process. This is not good for people who are prone to produce Keloids (heaped-up layer of fibrous tissue on the injured or wounded part of the body). Therefore, it is advisable to have yourself checked first if you have Keloidal tendencies or you may want to seek for surgeons who specialize in areola mastopexy, also known as ‘Scarless breast lift’ procedure. Scarless breast lifts are getting a good rap and are quite in demand these days because it provides the most minimal scarring possible. In this procedure, incision is made on the lower edge of areola (the nipple area).

Breast Augmentation

Breast Augmentation, on the other hand, is a procedure to increase the cup size by placing saline or silicone implants. Breast augmentation also addresses sagging breasts brought by aging. Many are drawn to breast augmentation for the hopes that it will give their breasts a more youthful look.

Saline implants are made of silicone shells filled with sterile salt water. The shells are implanted empty and filled in once they are placed.

On the other hand, silicone gel implants resemble natural breast tissues. Because it is in gel form, it is much safer than the saline ones because it will not collapse if the shell leaks and may remain within the implant pocket. An important note though, regular check-up of the implant condition is advised to ensure safety.

So, which is better?

If we compare the two most common breasts implants available, we might want to look at its cost, safety level, and quality. If you’re looking for less expensive implants, then you can opt for saline implants. However, there’s a reason why they come cheaper—they are more susceptible to breakage than the silicone material.

As mentioned earlier, although the two procedures can have different purposes, the patient may still choose to have both, if desired. For example, if a patient already has full but saggy breasts, then she may choose to have a breast lift. However, if the set of breasts appears to be deflated and saggy, the patient may opt to consider both—enhancements through ‘lift’ and with implants.

Lucky for those who think twice about large incisions and using implants, they may choose to use their own fat cells. Another advantage is that, patients can achieve fuller and lifted breasts without scarring. This is because the fat transfer is done through injection. This is another celebrated innovation that just came out recently.

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, in 2015 alone, there were more than 20 million cosmetic procedures done worldwide. From a total of 1,488,992 breast augmentation procedures, there were 1,311,129 who chose silicone implants and 64,674 who selected saline implants.

Should you ever wish to pursue either one or both of the breast enhancement procedures discussed, it is advisable to seek out the best surgeon you know. While it can be overwhelming to read hundreds of advertisements, it really pays if you take time to weigh in and choose only the one who will give your desired results.

Sandra Hebert is a writer living in Brisbane, Australia and writes for Esteem Cosmetic Studio (www.esteemstudio.com.au). Sandra has had over 10 years of experience in all areas of breast augmentation and cosmetic surgery including extensive work exposure throughout Australia and abroad.

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